


Our Time

by thegizka



Category: Fire Emblem Series, Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: F/M, Hurt/Comfort, Long-Distance Relationship, Post-Golden Deer Route (Fire Emblem: Three Houses)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-18
Updated: 2020-08-18
Packaged: 2021-03-06 11:07:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,519
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25968622
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thegizka/pseuds/thegizka
Summary: Byleth believes in the future that she and Claude are working towards, but serious news from over the border could mean they have less time to create that future than they thought.Written for Writer's Month 2020 Day 4:  Long Distance Relationship.Note:  I do not own any aspect of Fire Emblem: Three Houses.
Relationships: My Unit | Byleth/Claude von Riegan
Comments: 3
Kudos: 62
Collections: Writer's Month 2020





	Our Time

Byleth had only been to Almyra twice before, both times travelling only an hour over the border late at night. She couldn’t venture very far because she wasn’t welcome, and peace wasn’t yet secure enough for an extended trip out of Fodlan. It was much easier for a roaming prince to cross the border when he would be welcomed by many as a friend. He never stayed long enough to socialize, though. If word got back to Almyra, he would lose what hard-earned trust from his people that he had.

“The timing is terrible,” Lorenz said when she asked him to hold down the fort for a few days. “Claude never did cultivate that noble quality of considering others’ schedules.”

“It’s not like he asked to nearly die on the battlefield,” Hilda snapped. Byleth knew she was worried because she hadn’t complained about the extra work she’d have to do in her leader’s absence. She had also nursed her brother through his more serious battle wounds. She knew how bad it could be.

“Do you think the report is accurate?” Marianne asked. “Could he really be dying?”

“That’s what I’m going to find out,” Byleth said.

“May the Goddess protect him,” she prayed.

Lorenz, Hilda, and Marianne were the only ones she told before leaving. The fewer people who knew about her absence, the less likely it was that one of the disgruntled lords would try to seize power. She also doubted her opposition would look kindly on her rushing to the aid of an enemy prince. Neither Fodlan nor Almyra was favorably disposed to their union.

Byleth didn’t usually mind waiting, and experience had taught her that peace and unity took time and effort. She had time, and Claude had a plan. Eventually they would have the future that they both wanted. She only wished this phase of the plan wouldn’t keep them so far apart.

She had known there would be a battle. The Gonerils had informants just over the border, and Hilda was quick to share anything they heard about Claude. A band of dissenters had been marauding the coastline, sometimes dangerously close to Fodlan’s border. The prince had summoned his warriors to confront them. It sounded routine, well within his tactical capabilities. No one expected the scoundrels to have set a trap or Claude to be seriously wounded, possibly fatally. Suddenly they didn’t have as much time to chase their future as they’d thought.

Byleth covered the distance in a day and a half. She didn’t grant herself the luxury of admiring the scenery like Ignatz would have. Sometimes in the quiet moments they shared, away from the politics that kept them apart, she’d ask Claude to describe a place they would someday visit together. She loved watching him as he used words to conjure images of places held in his memory. She could see his love for his country in his eyes, and he was extremely secretive and protective of the things he loved. That he trusted her with his memories meant a lot to her. She was looking forward to visiting those places and making more memories with him.

Her destination was not one of those places. From the exterior, it looked like a farmhouse with an accompanying barn. The buildings were tucked into the shadow of a mountain. Byleth knew the facade disguised an intricate network of tunnels and rooms that could be extensively defended should the need arise. No one but Almyran royalty and their closest guards knew about it..

“If anything happens and Fodlan is no longer safe for you, go there,” he’d said. “I’ll meet you there and we can come up with a plan to keep you safe.”

“That’s not going to happen,” Byleth reassured him.

“But if it does,” Claude insisted, “promise me you’ll go there.”

She wasn’t sure what had spooked him that day. Perhaps the unrest in Almyra was growing, or he had heard the rumors that a band of Those Who Slither In The Dark had escaped and were plotting against her. He usually didn’t let such things get to him, but everyone has his limits.

“I will,” she promised, and relief washed over his face.

“Thank you.” He kissed her hand affectionately.

“And if you’re in serious danger, I’ll be able to find you there, right?” she asked.

“If I’m in serious danger, you shouldn’t come looking for me.”

“But I will.” She took his face gently in her hands. “I would scour every inch of this earth for you if I could be by your side for a single moment. I will always come back to you.”

His eyes said a thousand true things, many of which she felt more than understood. It was strange to feel so much when for most of her life she had felt very little. Claude made her feel the most, and the experience was as wildly beautiful as he was. She wished she could feel this way with him forever.

“If it’s serious, I will go to the farm,” he conceded. “Just don’t come to me unless it’s an emergency. Wait for me to send word. I don’t want you falling into a trap.”

“I’ll be careful.”

He kissed her to seal the promise, then pulled her into a hug. They held each other for a while, drinking in each other’s presence. Byleth never realized how starved she was of him until they were together like this, at peace and in union.

“I wish I could bring you back with me,” he murmured, lips brushing her neck.

“I wish I could make you stay,” she sighed.

That had been two months ago. Now she crouched in the brush a safe distance from the little farm. She hadn’t waited for him to send word because she wasn’t sure he would. If he thought it would be safer for her to stay away, he wouldn’t ask her to come, even though she knew he ached for her just as strongly as she did for him. He had lived his life too carefully to start letting his emotions override his reason now.

The guards at the farm were good. Disguised as farmers, they made frequent trips between the buildings under the guise of agricultural chores. Byleth had spent enough time around warriors, though, to notice the telltale signs in their movement. She knew they were keeping careful watch while they appeared to work. That they were so active confirmed her suspicion that Claude had been brought here after the battle. All she had to do was get inside and find him.

She waited until dusk. It was terrible knowing he was so close and not being able to rush to his side. Their relationship remained a secret to all but a handful of their most trusted friends, and it had to remain that way. Claude knew firsthand how a mixed marriage could polarize people, and even though their love was enough to endure the backlash, their future union had to unite their lands as well.

Byleth chose the barn as her point of entry, slipping inside as the sunset stretched long shadows over the land. The guards seemed less attentive to this building, and it was evident why as soon as she entered. The smell of wyvern cut through the dusty scent of hay and timber. She felt nearly a dozen pairs of reptilian eyes bore into her as her vision adjusted to the low light. Wyvern were fiercely loyal and sometimes dangerously territorial. Walking into one’s den was a sure way to get into trouble.

Despite this, she moved forward with minimal trepidation. She had fought beside most of these creatures when Claude had brought his Wyvern Corps to Fodlan to stop Edelgard. They recognized her as an ally, and several rumbled a low greeting as she passed, patting snouts and scratching behind their frills to reassure them. Byleth noticed fresh scars and wounds plastered with pungent salves, signs of the battles they’d fought and their most recent skirmish. It must have been a tough fight because no beast remained unscathed. That made her worry. There could be more truth to the rumors than she had believed.

With growing concern, she made her way to the back of the barn. The Wyvern Corps’ presence was irrefutable proof that Claude was here. The warriors were as fiercely loyals as the beasts they rode and would stay by their prince’s side no matter what. But she had noticed there was a wyvern missing, and it made her worry a great deal.

She almost missed the large stall at the back of the barn because she was so intent on finding a way further into the compound. The rustle of hay and a chirp brought her to a stop. Appearing like a ghost in the thin light, Claude’s wyvern lay on a bed of hay, eyes looking at her intently. He chirped again, and she went to him.

“That’s his name for you,” Claude had said when she’d first heard those syllables back at Garreg Mach. They had just finished a strategy meeting for their planned assault on Enbarr, and as was happening frequently these days, she had sought him out to hear his unfiltered opinions and take comfort in his presence.

“My name?” she asked, gently scratching the wyvern behind his frill.

“He only makes that sound for you.” Claude grinned. “He must like you a lot. It’s much cuter than his name for me.”

“And what does your name sound like?”

He made a series of clicks and growls that sounded ridiculous coming from a human throat. She laughed, and Claude grinned brightly.

“It’s rare to hear you laugh, my friend,” he observed. “It’s a nice sound.”

A warm emotion stirred within her when she met his eyes, something new and exciting that she wouldn’t mind feeling again. She turned her gaze away, choosing to focus on the wyvern instead so she could sort through this new sensation. He simply chuckled behind her and let the comfortable silence draw about them.

“Sh,” she cooed as the beast chirped the now-familiar sequence again. She could see why he was separated from the rest of the wyverns. His chest was a criss-cross of scratches, one wing was bound in a splint, and a large gash traced nearly the entire length of his side. It had been treated and bandaged, but the cloth was damp from leaking fluids.

“You’re looking a little rough,” she murmured, rubbing his chin reassuringly. He bumped her with his nose. “I bet the enemy looks even worse, huh?” She scratched the patch of his neck that she knew he liked and was rewarded with a rumbling purr.

Byleth was torn. She wanted to continue on and find Claude, but his wyvern also needed care. Could she wait a bit longer?

“I’ll be right back,” she promised, patting his cheek before stepping out of the stall. With the state of his wounds, the healers ought to keep their medical supplies nearby for emergency treatment. She ducked into a nearby storage room. It was mostly empty save for a few cratesr. She popped one open to find bottles and jars of ointment, pungent-smelling like the salves slathered on the other wyverns’ wounds. The labels were in the flowing, angular script of Almyran. She could read just enough to understand the general application of each. Byleth grabbed a few that promised to disinfect and encourage fast healing. She dug into another crate to find large bandages.

The wyvern chirped her name again when she returned. She rubbed his neck reassuringly before going to his side.

“Easy boy,” she soothed as she peeled back the old dressing. He rumbled uncomfortably as the deep gash met the cool air of the barn. It was oozing pus, but the bleeding had stopped. She gently cleaned it, murmuring reassuringly as she did. She took one of the disinfectants and carefully spread it around the gash.

Stepping back, she took a deep breath. Reaching within her to the part of her that had been touched by the Goddess, she summoned the energy and poured it forth. The magic wove itself into nosferatu and pulled the exposed tissue together. The wound was large, and she was tired from the journey. She also selfishly wanted to conserve some magic in case Claude needed it. The Almyran people didn’t have many magical healers and were suspicious of Fodlan’s magical traditions, so most wounds were left to heal naturally. She accelerated the healing process until the gash was past the potential of danger before releasing the magic and letting the Goddess’s powers fall dormant within her. She then reached into her own pack and pulled out a jar of ointment. The wyvern turned and clicked at her as she started applying it to what was left of the wound.

“Do you like that?” she asked. “Marianne has more experience with warmblooded animals, but she thought this might help if you were hurt. She’s always thinking of our non-human allies.”

Byleth finished dressing the wound with clean bandages before tending to the wing. She knit the bone back together but kept the splint in place to discourage activity until the surrounding muscle finished healing.

“There,” she sighed, rubbing the wyvern’s snout. “That’s about all I can do for you right now. I hope it helps.”

He exhaled against her stomach, making her chuckle while she scratched behind his frill.

“Well this is a surprise.”

If Byleth had had a heart, it would have jumped in momentary panic. She turned around. Claude leaned in the entrance, eyes wide with surprise. Bandages covered his torso, and he leaned on one leg as though avoiding putting weight on the other. But he was there, and he was alive.

She walked the short distance to him slowly. His eyes were tired but vibrant as they studied her face. His gaze softened when she reached him and gently wrapped him in a hug.

“It really is you,” he murmured. “I thought I was dreaming for a moment.”

“I’m here,” she promised in a whisper.

“Why?” He pulled back so he could look at her. He gently brushed some hair from her face. “Don’t get me wrong, I am unbelievably happy to see you, but why are you here?”

“I heard about the battle. I was worried.”

He blinked in surprise.

“I sent word that I was fine. Did it not reach you?”

“I left right away. I wasn’t sure there was time to wait.”

“I know you worry, but you need to be careful, my love.”

“Sh,” she hushed, cradling his face gently. “I am here now. Let’s leave it at that.”

“Okay.” He gently rested his forehead against hers. “Okay.”

They stood in silence together practicing the art of being. Once again, she felt how heavily his absence had weighed on her. She never felt so whole as when she was with him.

The wyvern behind them clicked and growled Claude’s name. He chuckled.

“Someone’s feeling a little left out.”

Byleth let him pull away and limp over to the creature. He spoke to it in Almyran, murmuring in beautiful, lilting speech that she only partially understood. She loved the cadence of his voice and watching him interact with his wyvern. He was somehow less guarded, perhaps because he had grown up with this beast. It was one of his closest friends, and it was nearly impossible for him to hide his affection.

“You’re bleeding,” she said, noticing the bandage along his side turning crimson.

“I’ve been doing that a lot lately.”

“Should you even be out of bed?”

“Probably not.”

“Claude!”

“I’m fine,” he assured her, though he let her help him into a sitting position with his back resting against his wyvern’s side. “I just thought this guy could use some company.”

The wyvern nosed his chest in concern. Claude patted his nose to calm him.

“What happened?” Byleth asked as she carefully peeled back the soiled bandages.

“The luck of battle,” he grunted. “It was not with me. Some archers on the other side got in a few lucky shots instead.”

She counted three puncture wounds and half a dozen bruises. It was amazing that he’d been able to stand, let alone walk to the barn. He must be under immense pain.

“It’s not as bad as it looks,” he promised, though it was hard to believe him.

Byleth was already manifesting the Goddess within her and weaving magic into nosferatu. She poured her intention into her work, tenderly treating his wounds. Muscle knit together and bruises faded. She knew the energy was taking a physical toll, but she was determined to ease his pain as much as she could. That was largely why she was here, after all.

“Don’t overdo it,” Claude cautioned, gently grabbing her wrist. “I can afford to heal on my own a bit.”

She wanted to continue until the wounds had disappeared, but the reassurance in his eyes and her fatigue convinced her to let it be. The magic faded, leaving the wounds red and tender but no longer bleeding. She took a moment to catch her breath before reaching for some ointment and bandages.

He took her hands once she had dressed his wounds and kissed them tenderly.

“Thank you,” he murmured against her palms. The hair of his beard tickled her fingertips.

“I haven’t even looked at your leg yet,” she chuckled, trying to pull her hands back.

“Leave it,” he said. “It’s just a sprain, and you’re already exhausted. You must have traveled nonstop to get here. Rest while we still have some time together.”

He was right. She’d have to leave in an hour to avoid detection and return to Fodlan. Their stolen moments were never long enough. Byleth settled into the hay and nestled against Claude’s uninjured side. He took her hand and held it against his chest, kissing the crown of her head before resting his cheek against it. She listened to the steady, reassuring beating of his heart. She could have fallen asleep there wrapped warmly in his love, but she didn’t want to waste their precious seconds together.

“Claude?”

“Yes, my love?”

“Tell me something.”

“What?”

“Anything. I just want to hear your voice.”

He chuckled, and she felt it vibrate in his chest.

“Alright then. In two days, it will be the twentieth day of the Great Tree Moon.”

“Yes,” she grinned, thinking he was being silly and listing mundane facts.

“On that day nine years ago, Dimitri, Edelgard, and I got separated from our classmates during some evening training exercises and were set upon by bandits.”

“I thought you snuck away from the others.”

“There was never enough evidence to prove that,” he chuckled. “Regardless of how we got there, we were almost surely going to be captured or killed until a band of mercenaries led by the famed Captain Jeralt and the Ashen Demon routed the thugs and saved the future of Fodlan.”

“That was nine years ago?” she asked. It felt more like three or four. She’d lost five years to a coma. Sometimes she wondered what might have been different if she had been awake to guide her students through the turmoil.

“It was. Nine long years of fighting and bloodshed to create the future we believe in, and we still have a ways to go. But on the twentieth day of the Great Tree Moon next year, I’m going to marry you.”

Byleth sat up quickly to see whether he was joking. His eyes were earnest and soft, and they filled her with the conviction that he was making her a promise.

“Whether or not we’ve brought peace to Almyra and Fodlan, although I expect we will by then, we should get married. I don’t care if it’s a tiny ceremony at Raphael’s inn with only the Golden Deer around to witness it. The only future I want is one where we’re together. What do you say?”

She felt emotions stir within her that were too big to name. They spread through her body and swelled in her throat until she wasn’t sure she could speak. But what could she say? Claude had already spoken her desires for her.

“You’re crying.” His eyes went wide in surprise, and a touch of fear passed through them. Byleth reached up to her cheeks and felt their dampness. She laughed in surprise.

“I’ve never been this happy before.”

Claude chuckled with relief as he wiped the tears away.

“You had me worried for a moment.” He held her face, thumbs rubbing her cheeks gently as he grinned. “I take it this scheme sounds good to you?”

“Yes,” she beamed. “I think it’s a winning strategy.”

His grin grew wider as he kissed her. She kissed him back, sealing their new promise. Somehow the future they wanted seemed much closer than it had this morning. One year. They just had to get through one more year. Then they’d have all the time in the world together.


End file.
